Raven.”
“Brave Spirited Raven,” she repeated, testing the name on her lips. She wasn’t sure she liked it. She’d thought a name such as White Dove might have been more appropriate, or Graceful Doe. Silly of her to even be thinking of Cheyenne names, anyway. “Why?”
Chase stopped and turned to her. He lifted a lock of her hair, studying it with his smoky silver eyes. “Your hair is the color of a raven’s, you’ve just doneyour darnedest to be brave, and you have a child’s spirit.”
“Oh, is that a compliment?”
“Depends.”
“What does it depend on?”
“On whether the child’s spirit is noble or spoiled and selfish.”
She stood in the street utterly at a loss for words. She watched him press forward, noting his noble gait, the strength of his broad back, and hoping for the oddest reason, one she couldn’t at all name, that he didn’t view her as a young, spoiled child.
When he reached the wagon, he turned to her, putting out his hand. A crooked smile graced his face. “You coming, Miss Leticia Suzanne?”
She allowed him to help her up, feeling the heat of his touch on her waist. A touch that elicited a sharp memory of being in that supply shack with him three days ago, his hands roaming over her near naked body, warming her to the very bone.
Once seated as far from him as possible on the buckboard, she tossed back her hair and huffed, “It’s Letty Sue to you, Mr. Wheeler.”
The man reared his head back and laughed.
Chapter Three
L etty Sue ran out of her house the minute she saw her best friend climb down from her buggy. “Sally Henderson, you’re a sight for my blistered eyes! I’m so glad you came to visit. It’s been dreadfully lonely out here.”
Sally grinned and the two hugged. “Your mother’s been gone one week, Letty Sue. How lonely can you be with all these men around to keep you company?” Sally was forever teasing Letty Sue about her string of suitors.
“I need female company, Sally. I need my best friend. Oh, I’m so glad you came.” She slipped her arm through Sally’s and headed toward the house.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but little Elias took sick and I had to nurse him to health. I think he was part faking it. He hates going to school, and sometimes I think he’ll do anything not to go.”
“Your little brother sure is a devil. I caught him one time down by the creek, fishing. When I asked him why he wasn’t in school, he lied to me flat outand said Miss Wheaton gave them all the day off. I know Miss Wheaton would never have done that, as dedicated as she is to her students’ education.”
“Elias sure did get a whipping for that one, Letty Sue, when Father found out about it. Elias was too darn proud of the dozen fish he’d caught, and boasted to the entire family.”
“Oh, sometimes I envy your big family, Sally. I can’t imagine having seven brothers and sisters.”
Sally agreed. “Yes, sometimes it’s real nice. I won’t speak of the times it isn’t so wonderful.”
Loud whoops and hurrahs coming from the corral caught their attention. Both women stopped and turned to see what was causing the commotion. Double J ranch hands lined the fence, waving their hats and cheering, commending a rider for taming the stallion known as Tornado.
Chase Wheeler rode the horse with smooth agility, murmuring soft words of encouragement and patting his mane. Once he’d brought the stallion to a dead halt, he slid down to the ground and slowly handed the rope to Sam Fowler. The stallion shied away from Sam, looking toward Chase, who stroked the horse once again, with a skillfulness and calm that could only be due to his Cheyenne heritage. Within minutes, Chase had earned Tornado’s trust and brought Sam into the circle of trust, as well. Sam led the horse away, and Chase dusted off his chaps.
Sally let out a deep sigh. “Oh my, so that’s the new foreman the whole town’s been talking about. He’s absolutely divine, Letty
“Brave Spirited Raven,” she repeated, testing the name on her lips. She wasn’t sure she liked it. She’d thought a name such as White Dove might have been more appropriate, or Graceful Doe. Silly of her to even be thinking of Cheyenne names, anyway. “Why?”
Chase stopped and turned to her. He lifted a lock of her hair, studying it with his smoky silver eyes. “Your hair is the color of a raven’s, you’ve just doneyour darnedest to be brave, and you have a child’s spirit.”
“Oh, is that a compliment?”
“Depends.”
“What does it depend on?”
“On whether the child’s spirit is noble or spoiled and selfish.”
She stood in the street utterly at a loss for words. She watched him press forward, noting his noble gait, the strength of his broad back, and hoping for the oddest reason, one she couldn’t at all name, that he didn’t view her as a young, spoiled child.
When he reached the wagon, he turned to her, putting out his hand. A crooked smile graced his face. “You coming, Miss Leticia Suzanne?”
She allowed him to help her up, feeling the heat of his touch on her waist. A touch that elicited a sharp memory of being in that supply shack with him three days ago, his hands roaming over her near naked body, warming her to the very bone.
Once seated as far from him as possible on the buckboard, she tossed back her hair and huffed, “It’s Letty Sue to you, Mr. Wheeler.”
The man reared his head back and laughed.
Chapter Three
L etty Sue ran out of her house the minute she saw her best friend climb down from her buggy. “Sally Henderson, you’re a sight for my blistered eyes! I’m so glad you came to visit. It’s been dreadfully lonely out here.”
Sally grinned and the two hugged. “Your mother’s been gone one week, Letty Sue. How lonely can you be with all these men around to keep you company?” Sally was forever teasing Letty Sue about her string of suitors.
“I need female company, Sally. I need my best friend. Oh, I’m so glad you came.” She slipped her arm through Sally’s and headed toward the house.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but little Elias took sick and I had to nurse him to health. I think he was part faking it. He hates going to school, and sometimes I think he’ll do anything not to go.”
“Your little brother sure is a devil. I caught him one time down by the creek, fishing. When I asked him why he wasn’t in school, he lied to me flat outand said Miss Wheaton gave them all the day off. I know Miss Wheaton would never have done that, as dedicated as she is to her students’ education.”
“Elias sure did get a whipping for that one, Letty Sue, when Father found out about it. Elias was too darn proud of the dozen fish he’d caught, and boasted to the entire family.”
“Oh, sometimes I envy your big family, Sally. I can’t imagine having seven brothers and sisters.”
Sally agreed. “Yes, sometimes it’s real nice. I won’t speak of the times it isn’t so wonderful.”
Loud whoops and hurrahs coming from the corral caught their attention. Both women stopped and turned to see what was causing the commotion. Double J ranch hands lined the fence, waving their hats and cheering, commending a rider for taming the stallion known as Tornado.
Chase Wheeler rode the horse with smooth agility, murmuring soft words of encouragement and patting his mane. Once he’d brought the stallion to a dead halt, he slid down to the ground and slowly handed the rope to Sam Fowler. The stallion shied away from Sam, looking toward Chase, who stroked the horse once again, with a skillfulness and calm that could only be due to his Cheyenne heritage. Within minutes, Chase had earned Tornado’s trust and brought Sam into the circle of trust, as well. Sam led the horse away, and Chase dusted off his chaps.
Sally let out a deep sigh. “Oh my, so that’s the new foreman the whole town’s been talking about. He’s absolutely divine, Letty
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